Virtual Running Buddies - w/o 8-14

[Leslie Ferguson]

Ok, it's really 8/15 but no one started yesterday. It was a sporadic week last week for everyone, I picked up a new running partner and have made a call for a running/biking group on campus. So far 8 responses (not bad considering not everyone is there and there are <200 on campus).

Yesterday I gave my legs a rest for today and only rode for an hour. Today, I decided it was time to make a long run and went out for 2+ hours, I think I went over 13.1 miles so I know I'll be good for the distance of the race in 3 weeks. I just pray that it isn't as hot on that day as it was today - YUCK! My shorts are a veritable salt lick and I feel really gritty. Time to rinse up and think about dinner.

Happy trails,
Les

[SusanMac]

Thx for starting off the new week Les. Wow, I bet it felt great to get in that 2 hr run.

My sprint tri was yesterday & I'm very psyched. It went so well!! And I just felt good the whole time. The course from my tri a few weeks ago was much tougher, and longer, so maybe that was more of an accomplishment. But, everything just fell together smoothly yesterday. I took 2 rest days beforehand, and am wondering if that is a good plan for next time?

I passed a bunch of people on the swim (unusual for me), feeling stronger & more smooth than usual. I PR'd on the bike, hitting 19.1 mph (very fast for me. My training rides are around 15). The run felt sluggish, like always in tri's, but my pace was 8:45 min/mile (I was hoping for 9 min). I came in 12th out of 31 in my age group. So, couldn't be happier.

It was esp fun b/c it was an overnight road trip w/a rowing GF I hadn't seen in a long time. Very fun to catch up. We found a great lakeside restaurant & bar to relax at after the race.

On Fri night, before the race, we went to pick up our race packets & stumbled across the kids' tri. I'd never seen one before. It was so cute & such a blast. We hung out just watching all the kids (and their parents) for about 45 min. We took pictures, too, even though we didn't know a soul. They had kids as little a 4 y.o. on tricycles. We laughed so hard. Great fun.

Today is happy, happy rest day. Good thing, too, as it's raining out. I'm headed to the sofa to read :)

Hope everyone's having a great weekend.

[Robyn1007]

Susan, sounds like a great race! I'm going to Vail over Labor Day and there's an Ironkids tri while I'm there that I'm going to go watch I think.

Les, nice job on the long run.

I've logged couple of workouts thus far. Friday I did a short 1 hour ride just to spin the legs a bit before drinks and dinner with Mcgeiger. We tried Tibetan food which I really enjoyed! Yesterday I took a rest day to prepare for today's ride. I met up with a group from a tri board I post on for another ride up Deer Creek Canyon. I was nervous since the last time I did it was pre-surgery and because this time I'd be riding with people. Much to my very pleasant surprise I found myself middle of the group for the first third and then right behind the leader for the second third and I pulled the group up the last third! :eek:

The downhill was a blast, maxing at almost 41mph. One of the guys said we started off they kind of negotiated position behind me and he looked up and I was gone. Flying down the mountain. :D The whole way up these climbs I always push myself with the knowledge that what goes up must come down. And the down is so much fun. After the ride we had a picnic at the state park where we met which was fun to get to know each other.

I need to figure out what I'm going to do this week. I fly out Friday morning to go to Portland where I'm sure he'll push me hard in a couple of rides so I think I'll probably ride 2 days and then maybe run 2 days? I don't know. I have no motivation to swim so I've given that up for awhile.

[Leslie Ferguson]

Susan - The kids tri sounds like a blast. I always love watching the little kids marathon - 26.2 yards typically. Some of the kids are so intent on running and others are just out for a little jaunt. The other race I like is the little kids race at 10k's which are typically 100 yards. Congratulations on doing so well in your tri, it must feel really great to be doing so well.
Robyn - I think 41 mph is above the speed that I'd like to fall (that's what I consider my max speed). Still it sounds like you had a great ride and you must have been stoked to pull the rest of the group like that. I assume that Portland is in Oregon (there are 13 or 14 of them in the US). It's been forever since we've been in Portland (LW is a native). Oh how I love running when I'm there, over Mt. Tabor (where LW grew up) to the river and back Especially love it in the snow. :D

I'm never sure that almost 14 miles in that kind of heat feels good but it's good to have the run over (I calculated on MapMyRun at ~13.8). I think one more really long run then a shorter run the week before the race. Still not racing the RnR but it's nice to know that I can cover the distance in a good time. Rested today, my legs were tired from yesterday - go figure. I'm trying to set up the week, I've amassed a pretty good running and riding group on campus - about 8 runners and 5 riders so far. Now to wait until semester schedules come out before we set the schedule in stone.

Time for the skids - take care all and I'll see you in the funnies. Happy trails,
Les

[TKay]

Quick pop-in to say hello to everyone. I did a quick skim of the past posts and I see you've all been busy. More personal notes later. For now, we are back from Palm Springs where we had the perfect vacation. We did basically nothing. We swam and relaxed and watched movies and relaxed and ate out and relaxed and slept in and relaxed. You get the picture.

I did make it to the gym three or four times, where I did an elliptical workout that left my calves almost paralyzed they were so sore! But hey, I didn't get a sunburn. That's a pretty big accomplishment for pasty girl. :rolleyes:

Happy Monday, all!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Drive by... it was a good day today and I took a rest yesterday. Today's run was relatively short, only about 4 miles and there was only a single with me. But the group meeting was on short notice so I hope that Wednesday is a better attended day. Tomorrow is a ride day which will be interesting to say the least.

Off to bed - early appointment at school, leading part of worship and I need to be bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Happy trails,
Les

Eta: Can't believe that I didn't add that I also did about 45 miuntes of Ultimate after running for 4 miles. Legs weren't very happy at the end of that.

Les

[SusanMac]

Checking in to report a 23-mile bike ride last night w/my chicks' cycling club, and a 45-min hill run this morning with DH & Bode. My legs are feeling strong, which is such a great feeling.

Last night I made roasted eggplant pizza for the first time. DH was skeptical (I never make eggplant....kind of intimidated). OMG, was it yummy! Off to a new tapas & paella restaurant tonight w/some GFs.

Hope everyone is having a good week

[TKay]

Managed a 40-minute TM effort yesterday though my legs were sluggish. Ended up skipping today since I woke up with a sore throat and felt rather punk. I'm hoping the day off will put some spring back in my step for tomorrow.

Things are gearing up to be busy. A client has a major project for me, school starts in less than two weeks, dh is beginning another class and my sitter is booked with her other job. I think I want to go back on vacation. I'm trying to get my head in the right place for all that's ahead.

Les - Wow! You've given your legs a real workout lately. Hope they recover quickly.

Susan - I didn't comment on your sprint tri last time, but wanted to say I'm really excited for you. Sounds like everything went as well as it could have. And I guess you've recovered already, no? Eggplant pizza sounds great.

Robyn - Glad you enjoy those downhills. They sort of scare me. I don't even know what Tibetan food would be like. Sounds fun though.

[Leslie Ferguson]

It sounds like you had a blast Susan and I think eggplant pizza sounds neat. I'd never tell my mother, she'd never believe that I'd eat eggplant without having a gun held to my head. ;) I'm glad your legs are bouncing back too.

TKay - GOod job on your TM but I'm sorry your throat was scratchy and you didn't feel well. A day off is something that is really helpful and you might just bounce back after the day off. Good thoughts for clear thinking in the days to come.

My legs are better, they were just a little beat yesterday - I hadn't planned to run as fast as we did and I didn't expect to play 5 on 5 Ultimate without subs. :rolleyes: I don't know if I mentioned it but I'm heading up two different groups on campus, at least for the first semester. I've got a running group that has 12-14 people who are interested (all levels) and a riding group that has about 8-10. I went out with one from the riding group today and showed her a new trail - she was thrilled. We rode an hour together and I rode about 5 miles to get to campus and back. Feel great and ready for bed.

See you all in the morning. Happy trails all,
Les

[Robyn1007]

Quick fly by here. I logged a very short run tonight as I headed for the track and realized after I got there that I hadn't used my inhaler. So I managed a strong 1600, a 400 walking rest, a really hard 400 then about a half mile jog home. I can still feel it in my lungs. When I do this they feel kind of like one feels with a chest cold for a good few hours post run. Ugh. I'm irritated with myself for that move. I'm hoping to ride tomorrow then I'm taking Thursday off in preparation for this weekend's craziness. Les, you were right, heading for Oregon. I likely won't do any running there as it'll be 3-4 rides with my dad in 4 days. :eek:

I'll try to catch up with everyone tomorrow.

[Kathy B]

Finally got to the CC this AM for a 45 min TM run. Felt pretty good after.

It has been pretty busy here, and yesterday I was a little under the weather, so I don't have anything to report before now. Even my pedometer steps were under the 10K mark. :o

DD is back in school and busy with tennis and band. DS is gathering his stuff and making last minute runs to Walmart and the bank before heading out on Friday. I figure there will be plenty of time to get back in my groove next week. :)

Great job on your tri, Susan! Congrats on the PR and the faster 5K pace. It's always nice when the outcome is even better than one expects. Glad to hear it went so well.

Robyn, what craziness are you planning for the weekend?

Les, sounds like you are finding LOTS of new people to workout with. Nice!

Tkay, your vacation sounds very....relaxing. :p That is definitely the best kind, especially at the end of summer right before you have to dive back into the school year. Glad to hear you had such a good time. Good for you keeping up on the TM even while you were gone. Way to go!!

[SusanMac]

Les - your new bike & run groups sound fun! Always nice to find new training buddies

Robyn - we have a Tibetan restaurant here & it's one of my favs. Be sure to try the dosa (roasted potatoes in a giant chickpea batter crepe). Oh, and pakoras. Yum! Have a great weekend. I know you've been looking forward to this for a while.

Tkay - congrats on the new work project!

Kathy - you are the master of back to school readiness by now, I'm sure!

[Leslie Ferguson]

Robyn - I too have never had Tibetan food that I know of but it sounds good. I'll have to see where there is one in this area. There has to be one considering the veritable melting pot we have around here. Sorry about your breathing problems - never any fun. What part of Portland are you heading to? LW was raised in SE, just off 82 near Mt. Tabor.
Kathy B - I too think that you're probably a pro when it comes to back to school. Hope you feel better and that next week settles down a little for you.
Susan - The groups look like they're going to be fun. I hope that I can keep them going once the semester really starts. I probably won't be able to go with a group 4 times a week mid-week but schedules will definitely tell. How were the tapas and paella. I definitely love paella - some of the best I've ever had was in Mallorca.

It was a kind of yucky day today. Rained off and on which wouldn't be a problem except that every time the rain stopped the sun broke through long enough to raise the humidity. Still went out with a larger group - 3 today instead of 2 on Monday. We did a little under 4 then I did a little on my own and ended up with ~7.1 miles. Looking at a ride tomorrow and a rest on Friday. I think Saturday will be my last long run (over 12 miles) before the race and amazingly (NOT!) my legs are a little tired.

See you all tomorrow and happy trails,
Les

[Robyn1007]

Kathy my colleagues are all dealing with back to school stuff so I hear about it regularly. Hopefully you get back in a routine soon.

Susan thanks for the tips on other dishes to try! I really am super excited about this place. I had the Tibetan noodles and momo platter. For those that haven't had it the flavors are similar to Indian food but slightly different. This restaurant serves both Tibetan and Indian dishes.

Les you just keep motoring along and I'm always impressed.

My dad lives in Wilsonville but to be honest I am not familiar enough with the area to know much more than that. We are throwing my stepmom a finger foods style party for her 60th so that will take much of our time Friday and Saturday but we'll fit in rides those days as well. I think we're riding Sunday and Monday as well and who knows what else on those days. I fly out on Monday afternoon.

I got in a short 50 minute ride this evening, just enough time to spin the legs a bit. I'm starting to run out of daylight post work so I think these will be coming to a close soon. That's okay really because I want to start focusing on running a bit more. I'm also proud of myself as I figured out taking off my pedals since they are going with me this weekend.

[oceanjasper]

Just got back from a long-weekend getaway on the mainland and managed to squeeze in a 30-minute jog on the treadmill at the hotel gym. I also did about 20 minutes of rowing. Love the rowing machine! I didn't get in any additional running, but I did go for a 4-hour hike. I knew the distance was about 10km, but what I didn't know (probably a good thing) is that I would gain 2,000 feet in elevation in about 2.5 hours. My legs were completely done by the time I got back down, but I sure did earn that beer! :)

Les - A 2-hour run is so impressive. That is great that you have been able to find other runners/riders on campus.

SusanMac - Congrats on such a great triathalon! I can just picture the little ones out there competing. How fun. That tapas and paella restaurant sounds interesting!

Robyn - Good job on the bike ride. 41mph downhill sounds awfully fast! Must be all that downhill skiing that numbs the fear factor. :) I have never tried Tibetan food before, but I love Indian food. Last weekend, I was lucky enough to get into Vij's, an amazing Indian restaurant in Vancouver (only a 2 hour wait for a table!) Have a nice time with your Dad and Stepmom.

TKay - What a glorious holiday you had. I hope it carries you well into the busy fall season.

KathyB - 45 mins on the treadmill is great, especially if you were feeling under the weather yesterday! When I was at the hotel gym, I changed the tv from the news channel to the food network, so that I had something to distract me while on the treadmill. :)

I'm hoping to get off the lazy train and run a bit this week. We'll see how that goes, as the warm weather seems to be back again.

[Kathy B]

Back to report weights and a solid 35 min with intervals on the TM this AM. DD has to be at school most days by 6:30ish for band (it's marching season!), so for now, the routine is that I can be at the CC before 7AM! Nice to get the workout done so early since I have to get up early anyway! Hopefully she will be getting her license in the next week or two, so I won't have to drive her to school, but I think I'll keep going with the early workouts.

Good to hear from you OJ! Your trip sounds nice, especially the hiking. It is a workout, but it doesn't ever seem the same as a regular workout... just very enjoyable.

Have a great trip, Robyn! Good going on the bike pedals. The school DS is going to has a bike co-op that is free and you can learn bike maintenance and get help from a professional bike mechanic when needed. I sure wish there was something like that around here. I know NOTHING about bike maint, and I know I should.

Les, funny you mentioned Mallorca. My folks spent 6 months there after my dad retired, and when they came back he made paella for us. It was one of their favorite things there! :)

And on the food subject, I just bought a new cookbook called Tapas, Susan. Trying two recipes out of it for supper tonight, if everything goes according to plan. I'll report back later. :D